heritage
n. C / Un. the traditions, languages, or buildings that a society has kept from the past. It is the history and culture that people feel is important to protect for the future.
n. the collective property, traditions, and cultural achievements inherited from previous generations. Often implies a shared identity or a duty of preservation.
The city is proud of its cultural heritage.
The government provides funding to protect the nation's architectural heritage from the effects of modern pollution.
Preserving intangible heritage, such as oral storytelling and traditional music, is often more challenging than maintaining physical monuments but is equally vital for cultural continuity.
From Middle English heritage, from Old French eritage, heritage (modern French héritage), ultimately derived (through suffixation) from Latin hērēs. By surface analysis, herit + -age.
Uncountable when referring to the general concept of history and tradition; countable when referring to specific inherited properties or traits.